Rotary knob assemblies utilized within a vehicle control panel for adjusting vehicle settings such as a temperature controller are well-known. Typically, the assemblies use equipment which illuminates the knob either to show the setting is ON or to visually indicate to the user the parameters of the setting.
Rotary knob assemblies are generally equipped with many components such as multiple lightpipes and multiple light emitting diodes to sufficiently illuminate the knob. These components have been assembled in a variety of configurations. In one known example, the multiple light emitting diodes and multiple lightpipes have been located both within and outside the knob assembly. In another known example, the light emitting diodes and multiple lightpipes have been located entirely within the assembly to illuminate certain portions of the knob. Alternatively, the light emitting diodes and multiple lightpipes have also been located outside the assembly to illuminate certain portions of the knob. However, all these examples of different configurations utilize a multitude of components and occupy a large volume of space on the control panel. The configurations are thus undesirable to both users and manufacturers. Additionally, the use of multiple light emitting diodes requires significant energy use within the control panel. Accordingly, there is a need for a rotary knob assembly that is compact and utilizes less energy.